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King of the 'Ring? Not so fast, Dodge

Dodge is crowing that it has recaptured the title of fastest lap around the Nürburgring for a production car. It released video this week of a 2010 Dodge Viper ACR lapping the 12.9-mile track in 7 minutes, 12.13 seconds with Dominik Farnbacher behind the wheel.

Now, that is one of the faster times around the 'Ring, but is it a record? Well, it is certainly not the fastest for a production vehicle.

But what qualifies as a production vehicle? Aside from not being a concept, competition or experimental vehicle, there isn't much guidance from the powers that be in regard to this definition.

Some consider production numbers to be the defining factor, much like homologation for competition racing, but what is the magic number?

In 2010, Guinness World Records identified the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport as the world's fastest production car, despite Bugatti building only 30 copies. And only 24 units were built of the SCC Ultimate Aero, the 2007 fastest-production-car title holder.

Dodge has built more than 25,000 Vipers since day one, a number of units that many car companies only hope to sell. Maybe we should qualify its title for "mass production" cars.Or perhaps it's the "street-legal" aspect that defines a production vehicle? But there is no specific "production vehicle" definition.

For our purposes, the major sanctioning bodies of street legality would be the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the United States and the Type Approvals that fall within European Community Whole Vehicle Type Approval.

With this in mind, I propose the following definition:

A production vehicle is an automobile built by a manufacturer, and not built on a modified chassis of another vehicle (a tuner-specialty-modified vehicle such as the 9ff Porsche). It should also constructed to be street-/road-legal by either NHTSA or the ECWVTA as to meet a minimum standard of safety and emissions, while being available to the public for purchase.

Here's what happens if we take the proposed definition and filter lap times on the Green Hell:

The most recent run by the Dodge Viper ACR would put it in fourth place. The current record holder would be the low-production/high-fun Radical SR8 LM. Never heard of it? You aren't alone.

The Radical SR8 LM is a purpose-built track car from the United Kingdom that can be road legal. This car achieved a blistering lap time of 6:48:00 in August 2009.

Radical has its slightly less aggressive SR8 in second place with a time of 6:55:00, set in September 2005.

Both of the Radical vehicles were powered by a 2.8-liter V8 that produces 449 hp and were both road-legal by the Single Vehicle Approved (United Kingdom ECWVTYA equivalent).

"[At Radical], our definition of road-legal is a fully road-registered vehicle, one you could drive to the circuit on its own number plates," said Will Brown of Radical. "And as a production car, it's for anyone--if they have the money to purchase it."

The latest production Radical, the SR8 RX, is equipped a 2.7-liter V8 with a lower top end but 30 hp more through its mid-range powerband. It has not attempted a record-breaking run at the Nürburgring, yet.

Right behind the Radicals is the Gumpert Apollo. This German hypercar is fit to be driven on both European and American roads. And the twin-turbocharged V6 with 650 hp propelled it to a time of 7:11:57 in August 2009.

While not considered production vehicles, two others have run the Nürburgring at a blistering pace. One of the most beautiful Italian cars to grace the asphalt in Germany, the Pagani Zonda R track car, ran a 6:47:50 in June 2010.

And the all-time record goes to the late Stefan Bellof, who piloted the Rothmans Porsche 956 race car to an incredible 6:11:13 lap in 1983.

That brings us to the Dodge Viper ACR and its run of 7:12:13.

There are endless details that could be nitpicked in regard to running the 'Ring. Were the tires street-/road-legal or racing slicks? Does the addition of a modified fifth gear nullify the vehicle as stock now? What about the adjustable aerodynamic components? Who is the official timer?

The debate will no doubt rage on via the Internet and among enthusiasts until there are legitimate definitions and regulations for Nürburgring validation. Until then, there is plenty of wiggle room to claim records.

After all of this, does Dodge hold the fastest Nürburgring lap time for a mass-produced, American-manufactured V10-powered coupe? Absolutely.